


Another Door Opens

by frumious_bandersnatch, Masterpiece_of_turkey_cleverness



Category: Supernatural
Genre: Alastair most certainly is not, Child Abuse, Divorce, F/M, Healthy Relationships, Human AU, Lucifer’s a good dad, M/M, Multi, custody battles(s)
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2019-12-12
Updated: 2020-06-17
Packaged: 2021-02-26 05:01:12
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 5
Words: 16,439
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/21767998
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/frumious_bandersnatch/pseuds/frumious_bandersnatch, https://archiveofourown.org/users/Masterpiece_of_turkey_cleverness/pseuds/Masterpiece_of_turkey_cleverness
Summary: Lucifer struggles to find a job and fights to earn at least partial custody of a son that he loves dearly. When he finds that Jack’s own home life is unstable, he has to intervene. But how? With a standoffish at best relationship with his ex-wife, how will he convince her and the authorities that Jack is being abused?
Relationships: Alastair/Kelly Kline, Past Kelly Kline/Lucifer - Relationship
Comments: 24
Kudos: 34





	1. Chapter One

Alastair sighed to himself, looking down at his watch. Kelley was still at work, but she’d be back soon enough. She always tried to place herself in the house when Lucifer came. “Mm, Jack?” He looked up, raising a brow.  
His eyes scanned the boy, checking for anything visible under the sleeves of his sweater. He always made an effort for there to be no bruises for anyone to see, and if Kelly saw- well, Jack knew well enough to lie. “Your father is...stopping by today.” He said almost conversationally, though he seemed disinterested for the most part. 

“Yes, Mr. Rolston?” Jack replied in a tone barely above a whisper. Then, when Alistair explained, he repeated, “Yes, Mr. Rolston.” He didn’t dare make eye contact or show any particular interest in his father’s visit, knowing what would happen if Alastair thought--well, any number of things; these days, it didn’t take much to set the older man off. He was sitting at a table, dutifully doing his homework. Not completing it was just one of many, many things that could lead to trouble, and Jack went out of his way to avoid that. 

“And how was school?” Alastair continued, turning a page in his book. “Your grades are back up to passing?” Well, his version of passing. 95 and above, not only for the class average, but for every individual assignment. And he had access to Jack’s grades online, something the boy had been silently protesting with the school board.

“Yes, Sir,” Jack replied. After all, there was no way his social studies teacher could have both graded and posted the assignment they’d turned in earlier today. It would have been fine, but it had been a group project, and even though Jack had essentially done the entire group’s work for them, it wasn’t going to be up to his teacher’s standards. Plus, she would probably mark the group down once she realized that Jack had done all of the work. But that was a worry for another day, not something that could prevent him from seeing his real dad today. Hopefully. 

“Good lad. Remind me to go over chemistry with you, later. You seem to be having trouble keeping up. How…” He hissed in a soft breath, shaking his head. “Well, mm, disappointing.” Alastair hummed softly, still reading. “Anything you’d like to tell me?”

Jack’s heart started pounding. It was a trick question, he knew--answer yes, and risk Alistair’s wrath now. Answer no, and Alistair would be furious when he found out the results of the group project...assuming Jack’s teacher graded it as he expected. “N-no, Sir,” he replied, voice cracking on the words. _Why_ wasn’t he a better liar? It shouldn’t be that hard, after so many years. 

“No? Nothing?”Alastair’s head snapped up and he finally held Jack’s gaze. “No, I should have assumed an 80 on a project worth a quarter of your grade wouldn’t have fazed you. I see you inherited your father’s work ethic, as well. Pity.” He looked down at his watch. “Come here. Take off your belt.”

Jack’s blood ran cold. “An...an 80?” he stammered. “But--but--” Swallowing hard, he forced himself to climb out of his chair. He hated himself, but his lower lip was already trembling. He knew any attempt to make excuses would just merit a worse punishment, so he didn’t try...even though it hadn’t been his fault. Instead, he stumbled his way over to Alistair’s chair and, hands shaking, removed his belt and handed it over. 

Alastair took it and ran a hand over the leather, brows raising slightly as he shook his head. “So sad, Jack. You know I hate it when you make me do this.” He slowly stood, folding the belt and facing it so the buckle was on the business end. “Stop that whimpering, now.” He lifted it as if to strike, before lowering it just as fast as the doorbell rang. “Mm.” He hummed disappointedly, heaving a sigh before pressing the boy into Jack’s hands and walking out into the next room to open the door.

Jack steeled himself against a blow that, blessedly, never came. He gasped anyway, when the doorbell rang, and hurriedly threaded the belt back through the loops of his slacks when it was handed back. He knew the rules, so he tried his best to compose himself, taking several deep breaths before making his way back to his chair. He didn’t have the wherewithal to restart his homework, but he picked up the pencil and at least made it look like he was working. 

Lucifer didn’t even bother to hide the scowl that came when Alastair opened the door, still fidgeting with his hands. “Hey, Al.” He got a scowl in return at the use of the nickname, and he allowed himself a slight smirk. “Is Kelly here? I know she uh- likes to be there when I come over.”

Alastair forced a smile. “Mm, I’m sure. No, come on in. Make yourself at home.” Venom dripped from his words as he held the door open and beckoned the shorter man in. “Jack is doing his homework, so, ah… may as well pass the time. How have you been?” He quirked a brow, closing and locking the door behind Lucifer. “I, mm, haven’t spoke with you properly since college.”

Lucifer cringed. There had been a reason for that. Before Kelly...well, he had had a few shitty boyfriends, and Alastair had been the longest and shittiest of the bunch. “Huh. Yeah, I guess so.” He gave an awkward smile and wave at Jack, and deflated when the boy didn’t seem to respond. “Poor kid looks beat. What are they doin’ to him at that school?”

Jack caught his father’s wave out of the corner of his eye, but given how much trouble he was already in, he didn’t want to anger Alistair any further. So, he waited a beat or two and then lifted his head, giving Lucifer a polite nod. “Hello, father,” he said quietly, wanting nothing more than to throw himself across the room and into his dad’s arms. Even though he knew he’d been an accident that no one involved had really wanted (a fact that had been drilled into his skull over and over again), he still felt a connection with the older blonde. Plus, Lucifer had never hurt him the way Alistair had. “I’m fine.” He smiled, trying to make it look as genuine as possible. “I was just doing my homework.”

Lucifer sighed. “Hey, bud.” He hummed softly. “So, uh...school giving you any trouble?” He frowned. God, how was he going to talk with the kid? He was like a tiny Michael, and, endearing though that was, Lucifer didn’t exactly have a great relationship with his brother, and he definitely didn’t want it to be like that between him and Jack.  
“You could say that.” Alastair gave a soft huff. “It’s giving him quite a bit of trouble.”  
Lucifer clenched his jaw. “He’s a smart kid.” He paused. “And more importantly, he’s not yours. Lay off the poor kid.”

“N--” Jack started, and then Alistair spoke, putting the lie to his word. He hung his head. “It’s okay, father,” he said quietly. “I’m not doing well in social studies. Or--or chemistry,” he added, remembering Alistair’s words from earlier. “But I’ll try to do better.” 

“Well, as long as you’re doing your best.” Lucifer smiled softly and took a bag out of his coat. “Hey- I brought you something.”  
Alastair sat himself back down and took his book back out, content just to listen, for now. 

“You didn’t have to do that,” Jack said, lifting his head back up and smiling. Figuring it wouldn’t seem too rushed at this point, he set his pencil down and climbed out of his chair, making his way over to hug his dad. “Thank you.” 

As they embraced, the door to the garage unlocked and opened, signalling Kelly’s arrival. As Alistair had predicted, she wanted to be there during Lucifer’s visit. While part of her still loved him, she’d never quite forgiven him for getting her pregnant--or, more importantly, for coming out to her as asexual. She’d taken it personally, assuming that she just wasn’t enough or good enough for him; she was one of many people who just didn’t quite ‘get’ asexuality. 

Lucifer grinned and patted his back, right where a nasty bruise was, and pulled back. “Homemade, too. You seemed jazzed last time I got you a snickers, so I had your uncle Gabriel show me how to make nougat. Man’s a genius.” He looked up and sighed, shoulders slumping. He still liked her too, so much, he just wished she could see it. That he did care, he just...couldn’t do it the same way she could. “Hey, Kelly.”  
Alastair looked up and hummed, standing and giving a smallish smile. 

Jack winced when Lucifer hit the bruise, but turned to the side and tried to cover it with a sudden cough. “Excuse me,” he said, before turning back. “You made _nougat_?! Really?” His face lit up with excitement, at least until he remembered something and glanced over his shoulder. “I, uh. I’m not really supposed to have candy,” he admitted. 

“Lu,” Kelly replied, keeping her tone neutral. She walked over and stood on tip-toe to kiss Alistair. “Dear,” she greeted him much more warmly, before tucking herself tight to his side. “Candy will rot his teeth,” she agreed. 

Alastair gently rubbed her side, glaring down at Jack at his cough before nodding. “You, mm, really should ask before you go out and do these things, what with your limited funds…” the statement hung in the air and Lucifer grit his teeth.  
“I’m doing just fine, Al, and my employment status is none of your business.”  
Alastair chuckled at that, looking down at Kelly. “Isn’t it?”

“Maybe--what if I only had one piece, and brushed my teeth right after? Please, Mom?” Jack wasn’t brave enough to ask Alistair, but giving his mother puppy dog eyes was par for the course. 

Kelly sighed. She loved her son; she hadn’t been able to bring herself to have an abortion when she got pregnant, and she hadn’t been able to bring herself to give up on him in the ensuing years, either. He was, after all, the main reason she stayed with Alistair; it wasn’t as if Lucifer was capable of paying child support. “I suppose,” she said, leaning against Alistair. “Just the one, though.”

Alastair shot Jack a warning glare, but nodded in agreement with Kelly. He never tried to disagree with her— he valued his position, and if they broke up, the scandal Jack would cause...it just wouldn’t do.  
Lucifer grinned and nodded, handing the bag over to Jack. “So, it’s good to see you, Kelly.” He swallowed, scratching at the back of his neck.

“Thank you!” Jack took the bag from Lucifer and began sorting through the contents. If he saw Alistair’s warning glare, he didn’t respond to it--then again, nougat is a balm for any ill if you’re Jack. 

“You too, Lu,” Kelly replied, but despite the nickname, her tone was only civil, not warm. “Would you like something to drink? How about you, Al?” she added, looking up at her husband. 

“Yeah, a drink would be great, to be honest.” Lucifer paused, before deciding that probably didn’t make him look too good. “Water.” He clarified, shifting a little as he looked down at Kelly.   
Alastair tilted his head at her, before nodding. “I was planning on opening up that bottle of scotch, tonight.”

“All right. Coming right up,” Kelly told the two men. She stepped out from under Alistair’s arm and headed for the kitchen. 

Jack finally selected his one piece of candy, and popped it into his mouth. “Mmmmmm.” With a mouth full of nougat, he couldn’t do anything other than smile at Lucifer and give him a thumbs-up; apparently his experiment had been successful. He handed the bag back, and tried not to react to Alistair’s choice of drink--a drunken Alistair was much worse than a sober one. 

Alastair watched her go and sat back down, taking his laptop up from the bookshelf next to the leather armchair he favored. He seemed to busy himself with typing away at something or other, ignoring his adoptive son and Lucifer for the time being.

“Glad you like it, kiddo. I’ll pass it on to Gabe.” Lucifer smiled, sitting down at the table next to Jack and peering at his homework. “Yeesh, that looks hard. I was never good at math.”

Jack shook his head--he may not be great at chemistry, but he was doing all right in math. Still working on the nougat in his mouth, he picked up a pencil and did the next problem slowly, so Lucifer could follow along and then gave him a look as if to say, “See? Easy.” Then he did the next problem, a little faster this time, but still giving Lucifer the chance to follow along. 

Lucifer nodded slowly, and went over to grab a pad of paper from a nearby table and try to work on them himself. Better late than never, right? “So, Jack, do you like math? You...seem pretty darn good at it, to be honest. Better than me anyways.” He chuckled awkwardly.

Jack finally managed to unstick his teeth. “Yeah. It’s okay. And it’s important. You have to know how to do math no matter what you end up doing,” he explained. “It’s like using a computer, or writing. I’m only okay at it, though. Sometimes I have to work pretty hard to understand it.” Unlikely, given the problems he’d just done. 

Kelly reappeared, carrying a glass of water, which she silently handed to Lucifer, and a glass of scotch. This she walked over and set next to Alistair, careful not to get it too near the computer. She then headed back toward the kitchen, presumably to start making dinner. 

“Okay? You’re great!” Lucifer beamed, staring down at Jack’s work. “What else do you like besides math?”  
Alastair looked up. “It’s best not to, mm, praise the boy. God knows with his genes you’ll give him a superiority complex.” He took a sip of his scotch. 

Jack’s face fell at Alistair’s words, and he hung his head again. “Um. That’s it, really. Uh--excuse me. I promised I’d go brush my teeth. I’ll be right back,” he said, not looking up at Lucifer before turning and retreating up a nearby staircase. 

Lucifer looked down, brow furrowed and lips pursed. He counted to five in his head, and let out a soft breath, as if to prepare himself. “Don’t talk to him like that.” He finally said, leveling a glare at Alastair.

Alastair raised an eyebrow in response. “Or what?” he asked softly. “He’s mine, Lucifer. I pay for his food. I pay for him to go to a decent school, not that… mm, public school he would go to if you were caring for him. I will speak to _my _son however I wish.”__

__“And that gives you the right to treat him like shit?” Lucifer raised his voice slightly, all while Alastair stayed perfectly calm. Rage didn’t suit him.  
He finally put down his laptop, gently shutting it. “Mm, be careful not to wear out your welcome, Shurley. I’m sure that...arrangements can be made to put these visits to an end. You wouldn’t want that, would you?”_ _

__Lucifer clenched and unclenched his fists at his side. He’d always had a temper, and it had always gotten him into trouble. He may be working on it at the moment, but he wanted so badly to wipe that little smirk off of Alistair’s face… “No,” he growled, just barely managing not to lose his temper. “Just--leave him alone.”_ _

__Alastair gave a small chuckle, eyes sweeping up Lucifer as if they could read into his very soul. “Good boy.” He wet his lips and leaned back, lifting the laptop back into his hold and going back to his work. If there was one thing he knew how to do well, it was to get under people’s skin. Bring their true emotions to light._ _

__“It’s not going to be like this forever,” Lucifer snapped, gritting his teeth again. “I’ll get him,” _them_ was heavily implied, “back.” He knew he wasn’t ever going to get Kelly back, he did, but in that moment, he didn’t care. _ _

__Alastair shook his head. “Oh? You’ll, mm, fight for custody, will you? You won’t win.” He shook his head. “It’s so, ah...sad you’re even trying. It really is.” He smiled- when Alastair smiled it wasn’t a warm, pleasant thing. It was all wrong, like his face was stretched too thin. His smile was all teeth. Alastair really was a shark. Turns out that saying about lawyers was true, in regards to some of them, at least._ _

__“We’ll see about that,” Lucifer retorted, but he knew that’s what it was--just a retort; nothing with any substance behind it. There was no way, given his current situation, that he’d ever be allowed even joint custody of Jack. But he still had to say it._ _

__Speaking of Jack, the kid came bouncing back down the stairs like an over-large puppy. “I brushed my teeth!” he told Lucifer, reaching up to push some of his hair out of his eyes. “That nougat was really amazing; I can’t believe you made it yourself!”_ _

__Lucifer calmed almost immediately, smile breaking across his troubled face. “I had help.” He excused, shaking his head. “I can probably send you some more for your birthday. You’ve gotta be able to have sweets then, right?”_ _

__“Uh--” Jack looked around, and almost winced when he realized Kelly was no longer in the room with him. He knew he wasn’t about to receive any encouragement from Alistair. “Well...maybe...um...check with Mom first,” he said, turning back to Lucifer to give him a slightly sickly smile._ _

__Lucifer wilted slightly, frowning as he sat down. “What’s wrong, Jack?” He asked quietly. When he was around more, the kid always seemed happy. Like a puppy, really. This was just all wrong to him._ _

__“What? Nothing!” Jack was vehement about it. Knowing he wasn’t the world’s greatest liar, he went for distraction instead. “Are you staying for dinner?” As if that would ever happen--but maybe it would be jarring enough to make Lucifer lose the thread of the conversation._ _

__“Bull.” Lucifer paused. “No, I don’t think I can stay this time.” He shook his head. “Come on, is there something going on at school? You’re normally so happy.” He tilted his head to the side._ _

__“No, da--father,” Jack replied, shaking his head. He was on firmer ground this time, because it was the truth. “Everything’s fine at school.” It was, too; he got on well with both his teachers and the other students and, thanks to Alistair, he was doing well in all of his classes._ _

__Lucifer sighed and nodded. “Alright, I’m sorry— I just get worried sometimes, that’s all.” He frowned, looking down at his lap._ _

__“It’s okay, father. How have you been? How did that job go?” Jack asked, sitting back down and playing with his pencil. He’d be in trouble for not completely finishing his homework before dinner, but he was already in plenty of trouble; a little more probably wouldn’t matter._ _

__Lucifer cringed and rubbed at the back of his neck. “It...didn’t go as well as I would have hoped.” He had to leave in the middle of an interview to go drive Balthazar home from some house in the middle of nowhere where he’d been doing god knows what with god knows who._ _

__

__“It’s okay, father. I’m sure the next one will go better.” Jack smiled over at him, happier now that, ironically, they were getting further away from the subject of his own happiness._ _

__Lucifer smiled at that, nodding and patting Jack’s shoulder. “Yeah, I think it will. I’m gonna interview for a spot as a cook next weekend before I see you, so that’ll be fun. I used to work in a kitchen in high school and college.” He hummed. “And I liked it a lot, so I think it’ll be a nice change in pace.”_ _

__“That’s great! I’m sure you’ll make a wonderful cook,” Jack told Lucifer. He was always enthusiastic about Lucifer’s jobs, right up to the point where he was fired or let go for one thing or the other. “You should tell them you can make nougat.”_ _

__Lucifer hummed. “Well, that’s more baking than anything. That’s about the only candy I can make.” He chuckled,  
Alastair hummed. “If they even hire him to begin with.” He quipped._ _

__Jack frowned, but he didn’t dare say anything contrary to Alistair’s comment. “I’m sure you’re a good cook, too. I can only make mac and cheese,” his son told him. “And grilled cheese. And cereal,” he added, laughing, “but I don’t think that’s worth any points.”_ _

__Lucifer chuckled. “That’s better than a lot of kids. When I was your age I burned pretty much everything, so you’re off to a good start.” He hummed, glaring over at Alastair._ _

__“You’ll have to show me how you do it,” Jack said. “Maybe some time we can use the kitchen!”_ _

__Lucifer nodded, humming softly. “Yeah, maybe. What’s your favorite thing to eat?” He tilted his head to the side._ _

__“I like hamburgers and fries!” Jack exclaimed. Hey, he was a kid. He’d adopt a wider palate when he got older. Maybe. “With ketchup!” Maybe not._ _

__Lucifer chuckled and shook his head. They’d work on that. “Alright, what about toppings? Onion, relish, bacon, avocado…?”  
“Just plain, I’m afraid. Not much of an adventurous eater.” Kelly cut in, handing Alastair something and wiping her hands on her jeans. “You staying for dinner?” From her tone, it was clear Lucifer wasn’t welcome to anyways. _ _

__“Yeah, stay!” Jack enthused, leaving Lucifer in the unenviable position of having to tell Jack that he couldn’t. The poor kid was still too young to realize why Lucifer staying would be such a bad idea._ _

__Lucifer looked up at Kelly, shoulders slumping. “...No, buddy, I don’t think I can. I...should probably go, now. Right Kelly?”_ _

__“Dinner’s in just a few minutes,” Kelly confirmed with a nod._ _

__“Awwww,” Jack pouted, but he got up to give Lucifer a hug. “Same time next week, though?”_ _

__Lucifer nodded. “Hope so. See you then, champ.” He hugged Jack back tightly, frowning as he felt something raised under his shirt. Almost like a welt. He felt a little at it, and pulled back when Jack obviously winced. “Jack?”_ _

__“It’s nothing, Father,” Jack said quickly. “I just fell. Um, into one of those picnic table benches at school.” Why could he lie so much better to his father than to Alistair? It wasn’t fair, but then, life wasn’t fair. As much as he wished it was._ _

__“You fell again?” Kelly asked, with some concern. “Jack...I wonder if there isn’t some test a doctor could do. For...balance or something, I don’t know.”_ _

__Lucifer nodded, frowning. “Maybe an inner ear problem.” He glanced over at Kelly. “Let me know if he gets checked out, okay?”_ _

__“I will,” Kelly said, in that same concerned tone. “You should be going, though. The next bus leaves in five minutes.” Trust her to have the schedule memorized when she didn’t even use the bus any more._ _

__“Goodbye, father,” Jack said, looking sad again._ _

__Lucifer nodded and gave a tired wave, slowly walking out into the cold outside and closing the door behind him._ _


	2. Chapter Two

_There had better not be a sock on the door_ , Lucifer thought grimly as he made his way to the tiny, dingy one-bedroom apartment he now shared with his younger brother. No way was he getting sexiled out of his own apartment...again. 

There wasn’t, but from the noises inside Balthazar had either forgotten or was all by his lonesome, which wasn’t an uncommon occurrence, but it was one Lucifer was more comfortable barging in on. 

Lucifer banged on the door. “Balth! I’m coming in in two minutes, and no one better be naked!” he warned, glancing at the time on his cell phone before folding his arms across his chest. Brothers were the worst. 

Balthazar mumbled something back and the noise stopped. When Lucifer came in, there was only Balthazar and a freshly closed laptop. 

Lucifer didn’t have the heart to scold him, since the kid was essentially living on the couch. Instead, he tossed Balthazar the bag of candy that Jack didn’t eat and went to investigate the refrigerator--which turned out to be mostly empty. He sighed, but grabbed a generic cola and opened it. 

“So how’s the kid?” Balthazar piped up, moving the computer back into his lap and opening a new tab. Still had homework to do. Damn. Jack really wasn’t that much younger him, only fifteen while Bal was twenty one.

“I’m worried about him,” Lucifer admitted, straightening up with the soda and closing the refrigerator door. “He doesn’t seem happy, but I can’t figure out why. He says there’s not anything going on at school, but I don’t know if I believe him.”

“Even if there was, he doesn’t seem the type to hide it from administration. You or Kelly get any notes home from teachers?”

“Not that I know of,” Lucifer said, shaking his head. “I think Kelly would have told me if there were.” He couldn’t be certain, but she tended not to go out of her way to exclude him when it came to their son. 

“Huh.” Balthazar shrugged, leaning back. “Well that sucks. Then again, if you were being bullied, you wouldn’t say anything either.”

“Yes I would!” Liar. “...I mean, maybe not to _our_ parents, but to normal parents…” Lucifer huffed a sigh, ran a hand through his hair, and took a long swig of second-rate cola. “He _seemed_ to be doing well.”

“Hm, sure. And Alastair’s a normal parent.” Balthazar drawled, quirking a brow up at Lucifer. “Just like Chuck, right?”

Lucifer didn’t want to see the parallels, as much because of his old, bad choices as because he didn’t want to think his son was stuck with someone like Chuck. “He’s not that bad,” he argued. 

Balthazar snorted. “I’ve met the man, Lucifer. You can’t hide that. He’s as ass, to put it lightly.”

“Maybe. But--” Lucifer sighed, and flopped down on the couch next to his brother. “He’s taking good care of Jack, Balth. Jack’s going to a private school--you should see the things he’s learning! And he has everything he could want.” He gestured around the apartment, which desperately needed cleaning. “Better than anything I could ever offer him,” he said bitterly.

“Love?” Balthazar raised a brow. “You know Kelly’s hours. You think he’s being cared for by Alastair?” He hummed. “And we could combine incomes, if you’d like. I’ve got a partner, now, and we’re going to find a place to rent for our shop.”

“You got a partner?” This was news to Lucifer. He shook his head, though. “I don’t _have_ an income right now, unless you count the few bucks I make from online stuff.” 

Balthazar shrugged, leaning back. “Mm. Tailor, needed a designer. You can find a job, you’re just not really looking.” 

“I am so!” Lucifer protested, leveling a glare at his younger brother. “Need I remind you what happened during my _last_ job interview? And I refuse to wear a fucking paper hat.”

Balthazar snorted, shrugging. “You only look at postings in the papers. You’re _old_ , Luci. Need to look online.”

“I don’t have a computer, unlike some people,” Lucifer pointed out tiredly. “Anyway, you have your art, and Gabriel has his food. I don’t have a talent like the two of you, and I didn’t go to college.”

“That’s dad talking, man. You can cook, I know as well as anyone. Even if you have shit to cook with.” He nodded to the kitchen, stocked mostly with ramen and some scant vegetables. “Don’t need to go to college, anyways.”

“Maybe Dad has a point.” Lucifer rubbed at his hair. “He’s bound to be right once or twice. And anyway, all I’m ever going to be is a short-order cook. If I’m lucky.”

“That’s how Bourdain started, and I’m sure a whole host of great chefs did too. Stop putting yourself down.”

“Fine, if you do your homework,” retorted Lucifer, climbing up from the couch. “I’ll start one of my ramen masterpieces for dinner. We’ll see if you can tell me with a straight face that it’s something Bourdain would’ve come up with afterwards.”

Balthazar stuck his tongue out at Lucifer as he left, chuckling as he opened his homework back up. 

Jack was on his best behavior that evening, resolving not to get into any further trouble. Now that Kelly was home, he thought he was probably safe, and his inner optimism had convinced him that he’d be able to convince Alastair that the grade on the group project hadn’t been his fault. 

Alastair walked over to the table and sat down next to Jack, looking down at his work. “Mm, Jack?” He scanned the paper, eyes hooded.

Jack felt some of that optimism drain away. “Yes, sir?” he asked quietly. Most of his answers were correct, just not all of them. 

“I spoke with your teacher, today. About the project.” He hummed, voice flat with no intonation at all. 

Jack’s shoulders slumped. “Sir...I can explain. It was a group project, but no one in my group wanted to do any of the work, so I had to do most of it myself. I did my best, but...it was a lot of work.” He knew better than to claim she’d marked them down because she knew he’d done all the work, since he had no evidence of that. 

“Of course. I can’t expect you to be able to do a simple project. How silly of me.” Alastair clenched his jaw, tapping his fingers on the table. “But, mm, no matter. How are the rest of your grades? If that’s the only reason you did poorly they must be _stellar_.”

“I think they’re fine, Sir. Maybe--maybe, um, maybe not chemistry,” Jack stuttered out. “I haven’t gotten my grade back on the latest quiz.” He wasn’t about to make the mistake of thinking Alistair didn’t already know his grade again. 

“Don’t stutter. It makes you sound like an idiot.” Alastair said coldly, setting his laptop on the table and moving a little ways away from Jack. “Let’s check, shall we?”

Jack shut his mouth and tried not to start shaking. He honestly wasn’t sure how he’d done on his quiz--he wasn’t lying when he’d said he’d done his best, but electron orbitals just didn’t make a whole lot of sense to him. Either something was there or it wasn’t...wasn’t it?

Alastair’s brows raised and he gave a slow nod. “Ninety-seven.” He said simply, looking down at Jack. “Perhaps you’re not as useless as I thought. ...Keep it up.”

Jack sighed with abject relief, and let his shoulders slump, forgetting all about his posture. “...Thank you, Sir,” he replied quietly. Apparently he understood more than he’d thought. 

Alastair splayed his fingers out between Jack’s shoulders and pushed him up slightly, shaking his head. “Mm.” He hummed dismissively, standing and walking off. 

Lucifer dressed in his best clothes for the job interview, even though it was only a position as a short-order cook. He really, really, really needed the job, and he knew there were probably people out there with, if not more experience, certainly better resumes, although he’d made Balthazar look his over for errors before sending it in. He was nervous, and he was afraid his palms were going to start sweating such that his handshake ended up clammy. 

“Alrighty, Mr. Shurley, pleasure to meet ya.” The head chef- an older man named Alan held out a large hand for him to shake. It was burned and scarred in some places. “Says here you used to work at a nice little Italian place, yeah? Tournant?” He butchered the French, but it was obvious he knew what he was talking about. “What stations did you usually fill in for?”

“I was usually the poteger, but occasionally filled in for the legumier,” Lucifer answered after shaking the head chef’s hand. Thankfully, his hand hadn’t been too clammy. “Helped the patissier a time or two when they needed it, but that’s about it.” 

“So you got some experience, that’s good. Why are you goin’ for a lesser position now, then? Because I could use a new poi- a new fish guy. One we have’s a piece of shit. Could you do that?”

Lucifer was an honest soul, and shrugged. “Times are tight. I have a kid brother I’m supporting right now, and he always needs something for school.” He considered the man’s question, and then nodded. “I’d need some training--I don’t have any of the special knives at home--but I think I could pick it up easily enough.” 

He nodded. “I don’t touch the stuff, but I’ve got my set from culinary school. Come in back, I’ll show you how to fillet, and then you can cook somethin’ for me.” He paused. “And if you wanna do some other stuff around the kitchen plus that, it’d be a boost in your salary. I know what it’s like to do somethin’ like that for family as a sole provider. If you’re hired, anything you need just ask.” He led Lucifer into the kitchen and sighed. “You like rock, Lucifer?”

“All right,” Lucifer agreed, following him into the kitchen and considering his options. Potato-crusted fish with sauteed vegetables on the side, maybe, since they were making a filet? As for the other question, he let out an indelicate snort. “With my name? Are you kidding? Actually, I like just about anything as long as it’s not too out there.”

“Ah, that’s good. We usually have somethin’ or other playing back here, so if you’re fine with anything that’s good. So here’s a porgy.” He took a smallish fish out of the fridge and set it on a large wooden cutting board. He took out a long but small knife. “So we put it through the gills here, and down through the collar-“ He did just that in one swift motion taking off the head of the fish. “And then scale it.” He brushed the scaler harshly in diagonal motions over the fish, taking off what looked like thousands of translucent scales. “Then rinse, and bring your knife along the side along the spine-“ He pulled up a perfect fillet. “Now you do the other side. Just scale and take off the fillet, it’s all right if it’s a little messy.”

Lucifer watched carefully; while he’d seen this done before, he’d never done it himself. He washed his hands, then flipped the fish over and picked up the scaler--that was fairly easy to use; it was just a matter of making certain he’d got all the scales. He rinsed the fish off and then picked up the fillet knife, doing his best to imitate the head chef. It took him longer, and it wasn’t perfect, but he managed to get a decent filet off of the fish. 

“Alright, there we go! You’ll be a pro at this yet. Now make something- you got free rein of the kitchen.” He paused. “You ever cooked with porgy before?”

“No,” Lucifer replied. Before he did anything else, he took a quick lap around the kitchen and found that nearly everything he needed was where he’d expected it--he was lucky the head chef had gone to culinary school. “But I know it’s best grilled, though you can bake or broil it, too. Some people fry it, but I wouldn’t unless that’s what the customer wanted.” The second time, his lap was purposeful as he picked up ingredients and set a small pot of water on to boil. He was going to make the mashed potatoes Balthazar loved so much with some sauteed butter-glazed vegetables and, of course, the fish. It seemed simple, but getting the vegetables to the perfect consistency was harder than it looked, and timing all three to be done at the same time was tricky. Still, he was fairly certain he could do it. 

The man grinned and leaned back against an empty wall, watching Lucifer work. “Looks good so far. Think I can see where you’re goin’, I’m pretty excited.” He paused. Lucifer was the only one who’d shown up (the spot the restaurant was at had a nasty reputation- most chefs who’d been living in that city would swear up and down there were still roaches from the Chinese buffet that had been there last. There weren’t, but that wasn’t the point. Location could make or break a new restaurant). But he needed to be able to work under pressure, no matter if he was already hired or not, so, “This’ll make or break the interview, by the way. You’ve done good so far, but this is just the final thing. You make somethin’ I like, you’re hired.”

Pressure was something that, as Chuck’s son, Lucifer had no trouble ignoring. “As long as you didn’t start me off with a fish you hate, I think I can do that,” he joked, quickly chopping a couple of potatoes and tossing them in the boiling water--they’d take the longest to cook. He seasoned the fish next, keeping it simple with some lime and pepper and salt before tossing the fillets on the grill. He tried not to make a giant mess, cleaning what he could as he went. He wasn’t perfect; he hadn’t ever been to culinary school, but Balthazar was right--he had a talent for it. 

He laughed, shaking his head. “Wouldn’t have it in the kitchen if I didn’t like it.” He hummed, watching on. Kid had lots of talent, that was for sure. “I’m gonna go out and check on some stuff, can I trust you back here?”

“Sure can,” Lucifer replied, looking up to give the guy a big grin before moving to the refrigerator to collect the items necessary to make his mashed potatoes, as Balthazar of course put it, ‘orgasmic.’ “It’ll be ready in about ten.”

He nodded, gave a little wave, and walked out to check the billing he’d done to past night. He came back in ten minutes, brows raised as he looked down at the plate Lucifer had set out. 

The fish and mashed potatoes were already on the plate and garnished, and as he walked in, Lucifer tipped his pan to allow a medly of green beans, cherry tomatoes, and zucchini to fall into the open space on the plate. This was followed by a few teaspoons of a fairly simple butter sauce, and then Lucifer pushed the plate toward the guy. “Voila,” he said, before turning to clean up his area. He’d been working on that as he went along, but of course there were last items to clean up and put away. 

“Wow.” He nodded, before simply saying, “This looks beautiful. Good work, Lucifer. You can go now, I’ll call you in the morning.” He sat down in front of where it was sat out and chuckled. “I’m sure you might already know the verdict with how good this smells, though.”

“I’ll just finish cleaning up,” Lucifer said, because he knew exactly how annoying it was to clean someone else’s mess. He didn’t have that much to do, in any case, and soon everything was either back in place or in the dishwasher. “Thank you for the opportunity, sir,” he said, offering his hand to shake before leaving. He couldn’t wait to get home and tell Balthazar, even if the kid would just tell him that he told him so…

Alan gladly took it and gave a hearty shake. “Thanks for showin’ up, kid.” He grinned. “Need me to call a cab for ya or something?”

“No, thanks,” Lucifer replied with a grin. He didn’t have money for a cab, and he honestly kind of liked walking anyway...at least, when he was in a good mood like he was at the moment. 

“All right, then. Have a nice day, Lucifer.” Alan waved him out, and started to eat. Well, Balthazar’s description was pretty accurate- the food was amazing. Lucifer got a call the next morning as promised, and heard the good news- he had a job.

Lucifer left his room, picked up a pillow, and threw it at the still-sleeping Balthazar (he was allowed; it was Saturday morning). He was grinning from ear to ear, and he’d already said that the interview had gone well--so Balthazar could probably guess what had happened. 

Balthazar groaned, lifting his head up just a little. Cn’grats.” He mumbled, before snuggling back in under the covers and screwing his eyes shut.

“C’mon, Balthy, it’s almost noon. Wake up. I’ll make pancakes,” Lucifer wheedled, tossing a second pillow in his brother’s direction. 

Balthazar blindly batted it away, wrinkling his nose. “Wake me up when they’re done.” He compromised, or at least tried to.

Lucifer rolled his eyes, but walked into the kitchen to fulfill his end of the bargain. He made the pancakes from scratch--it was cheaper that way. It wasn’t too long before he had the first one sizzling on the stove. “Better get up if you want any syrup,” he called. “Pretty sure there’s only a tiny bit left.” 

Balthazar lifted his head and furrowed his brow, slowly stretching and slipping out of bed before making his way to the fridge and groaning. “Liar.”

“We bought another bottle?” Lucifer really didn’t remember doing that. “Well, anyway, we’ll be able to afford better soon, hopefully.” He tossed a pancake onto a plate and handed it over to his younger brother. “How many you want?” 

“Three.” Balthazar hummed decisively, taking the plate and drowning the single pancake in syrup. “Mm, thanks.”

“Three it is,” Lucifer replied, pouring batter for a second one. “You have a good night?” It was Balthazar. And a Friday night. Of course he was out. 

“Hell yes I did.” Balthazar grinned to himself, eating happily and humming. “This is delicious.” The phone on the counter rang, soft and tiny but jarring when contrasted with the quiet breakfast scene.

“Just promise me you’re being safe,” Lucifer said with a sigh before startling at the phone. He flipped the pancake in the skillet first, then answered the device. “Hello?”

“Hello, Mr. Shurley? This is Jack’s PE teacher, we couldn’t reach Kelly or her preferred contact, but we think you should come into the school as soon as possible. We… have a problem.”

Lucifer stiffened. “Is Jack okay?” he demanded. “What is he doing at school on a Saturday, anyway?”

“No, he’s not here, we’re just reviewing a report another student made. It would seem that...well, when Jack was changing, this student noticed several bruises. Other students came forward with similar reports, and…well, we wanted to get a better picture of his life at home.”

“Oh.” Lucifer relaxed slightly at the news that Jack wasn’t in any immediate danger. “I asked him about it, and he said he’d fallen and gotten those at school, actually. His mother thinks maybe there’s something wrong with his equilibrium; she said she’d take him to the doctor and check. It could just be normal, too--I know I banged my head and knees and elbows a lot when I was going through my growth spurts.” 

There was a long pause on the other side of the phone. “Mr. Shurley, we’d be inclined to believe that if what our student had described didn’t sound like Jack had been whipped. We’re not implying anything, we’d just like to talk with you and Kelly to get the full story.”

Lucifer choked. “Whipped!?!” He smelled something burning, realized it was the pancake, and immediately turned the burner off. He used a spatula to get the burnt pancake out of the skillet, and set it on his own plate for now. Balthazar’s breakfast would have to wait. “How could that even happen?” Even as he said it, however, he got a sinking feeling; Balthazar had told him so. He took a deep breath. “Jack doesn’t live with me. I only have visitation rights. But I want to know what the hell is going on. I’ll talk to him--when did you want to meet?”

“Today would be best. The dean is here, as well as the assistant principal and the guidance counselor. We’ll let you know when we contact Kelly, so we can get you two here at the same time.”

“Okay, um, I don’t have a car, so it will take me a while to get there by bus,” Lucifer admitted. “I--I’ll just start; by the time I get there, you’ll probably have contacted Kelly, and she’ll be able to get there much faster.” 

“Alright, sir. Thank you for your understanding.” The phone clicked and the line went silent.

Balthazar was still staring, forkful of pancake frozen halfway to his mouth.

Lucifer stared right back at him as he set the phone down. “Balthazar,” he started, indicating the sincerity and severity of his question, as he never used his younger brother’s full name, “Do you know of any stupid stunts kids are doing these days that could get them whip-like bruises?” He was desperately hoping that ‘all’ it was was an internet fad. 

Balthazar swallowed, setting his fork down. He shook his head. “No. Nothing besides the occasional towel to the ass in the locker room, but that never leaves much of a bruise, if it does at all.”

“Fuck. Okay, I’m sorry. You’re going to have to cook your other pancakes yourself. I have to go to Jack’s school.” Lucifer set the batter next to the skillet, and grabbed the burned pancake--he’d eat it for breakfast on the way. 

Balthazar deflated. Why did something always have to happen when Lucifer was just starting to do better? It wasn’t fair.


	3. Chapter Three

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> After receiving the call, both Balthazar and Lucifer must deal with questions as to what is going on with Jack.

Jack’s private school was nice, so it was all the way across town. Lucifer’s journey involved several buses and no small amount of hustling, but he eventually made it to the school. He was switching constantly between worry for Jack and anger at whomever had done this to him. 

When he arrived, he was led through the cafeteria filled with the junior robotics team and into the main office by the assistant principal. Jack, Kelly, And Alastair were already seated, each of them anxious for a different reason.

Lucifer very much wanted to just start yelling--more or less at random--but he made himself wait until he had a better idea of whom he should be yelling at. The glance he gave Jack was sympathetic; the look he gave Alastair was not. 

The principal looked out at the gathered family and grimaced, clearing her throat. “So...we brought you here to discuss Jack. Before we do anything here, though, I think you and I both would like to hear his side of the story. Jack?”

Jack took a deep breath, and refused to look up at anyone. “There’s not really a story. I’m just so clumsy; I’m always falling. And I bruise easily, so every time I do, I get bruises. That’s all. It’s not a big deal.”

Alastair silently nodded his approval, staring the boy down. “Mm, seems reasonable to me.” He said curtly, glancing over at the principal. “I understand you have a duty to report suspected abuse, mm, yes? Have you done so yet?”

“Well- no, we just wanted to talk to you-“

“Then call CPS. I think it would be proper to have them observe his father’s visits.”

“ _ My _ visits?!?” Lucifer almost choked. “You--you--” Thankfully, he couldn’t find the words, because he was fairly certain what the school would think if he had. He swiveled back to the principal, face red as a beet. “I want to see how bad it is,” he demanded. “We should get pictures--documentation. Regardless of how this is happening.”

Kelly sighed, looking sadly over at Lucifer. “Lu, calm down. Please. Let’s be civilized about this, okay?” She asked softly, while the principal nodded and took out a few laminated photos. 

“A teacher took these with Jack’s permission.” She slid them across the table. They were awful- nasty red welts and bruises littered all across Jack’s back in spots and stripes. 

Lucifer took the photographs, and didn’t realize why they kept getting blurry until a tear actually dropped from his face onto them. His hands were shaking, too. He swallowed around the lump in his throat, as his righteous energy drained away. “These aren’t from falling. Jack...please. Tell us what really happened. Is it happening in school? We can protect you, but only if you tell us the truth.” 

Jack wrung his hands, and he started crying. “I fell. I swear,” he said, voice barely above a whisper.

Kelly stood from her chair and walked over, kneeling in front of her son. “Jack, please. It’s our job to protect you- all of us. It doesn’t matter who did this, or what they told you they’d do if you said anything. We’ll press charges, and you’ll never see whoever it is again. Your step father’s a fantastic lawyer, trust me when I say we’ll fix this together. Okay?” 

Lucifer watched as Jack started sobbing harder. The kid shook his head no, and that was when he became certain about what was happening. If kids at school had hurt Jack, he would have confessed already. That meant it was likely Alistair--and Lucifer had a pretty good idea of what he’d hold over Jack. “We need to call CPS.” He hated to agree with Alistair, but he didn’t see another choice. “If nothing’s happening, then they won’t find anything.” 

Kelly’s brow creased, and her shoulders dropped. “Alright, Jack.” She sighed, looking up at the principal from her spot on the floor. “I agree. Please- any sort of investigation. We need to get to the bottom of this.” She gently pulled Jack into an embrace, letting him cry into her chest. 

Jack clung to Kelly, hating lying to his parents but knowing that he had absolutely no choice in the matter. He really wished they hadn’t insisted on calling someone else in; Alistair had already informed him, in great detail, exactly how he would use such an opportunity to place the blame on his birth father. Jack didn’t doubt for a second that he’d do it, either. 

Kelly gently rubbed at his side, trying to make sure she didn’t touch anything sensitive. “Let’s...go get lunch. As a family. We can talk over this if you want, but if you don’t that’s fine. We love you, Jack.”

Lucifer watched them. He didn’t know if Kelly’s offer included him or not, but he was fairly certain he couldn’t stomach eating at the same table as Alistair right now anyway. Besides, he wanted to speak with the school administrators--alone. He already knew what they’d tell him, but he wanted to make sure. 

Jack nodded, and did his best to stop crying. It was, unfortunately, something he’d gotten rather good at with Alistair as a step-father, so it wasn’t long before his eyes were dry again. 

“You all go on,” Lucifer said, once Jack had calmed down. “I have some questions about educational things, and I figure I should ask them since I’m here.” 

Kelly nodded, sighing softly as she followed Alastair and Jack out. The door closed behind him, and the principal frowned. “Mr. Shurley? What is it you wanted to talk about? I know it’s not about Jack’s education.”

Lucifer considered what he was going to say. “Actually...I was wondering if you gave scholarships, since Jack’s such a good student.” He heaved a sigh, and turned to make sure the others were gone. “But yes. I’m pretty sure Jack would have told us what was going on if it had been some other student. I know none of you will believe me, but I think it’s Alastair.” 

She cleared her throat. “Mr. Shurley, I am in no position to judge parents. However, I completely doubt that man is as caring as he says.” She frowned, clasping her hands together. “However, I am unable to help you with that. He is...an influential man to say the least.”

“I know.” Lucifer sighed, glancing down at his hands. “But I wanted to let you know, so that when Child Protective Services comes…” He broke off and shook his head. “I’m going to try to get custody of Jack. I don’t know if I’ll be able to, but I have a job now. It’s not that great, though, which is why I asked about scholarships. I know this place is expensive.” 

She nodded slowly, taking a file out from her desk. “Well, Jack is excelling in English and History. I think there may be something we can do with our gifted students program. If he tests in, we offer a lot of financial cushioning for the parents if they can’t cover the full cost of tuition. It shouldn’t be hard for him.”

“That would be great, thank you.” Lucifer tried to put all his feelings into the look he gave the principal when he looked up. “I’ll tell Jack to look into it once he’s feeling a little better. I...suspect he won’t have any more bruises for a while, after this.” He nodded to himself. “I assume you’ll call CPS, but I’m going to call them as well. I don’t know if they’ll believe me, but I have to at least try.” 

She nodded, putting the file back and standing. She extended her hand to Lucifer for him to shake, nodding curtly. “Thank you for trying. I will, after you leave, yes. Good day, Mr. Shurley.”

“Thank you for bringing this to my attention,” Lucifer replied, standing and shaking her hand. “It means a lot to me that someone else is looking out for my son. See you later,” he added, before turning and leaving. 

\----------

Several days later, a friendly, middle-aged African American woman named Missouri pulled Balthazar out of class. She explained to him that she was a social worker and that she needed to ask him some questions as she took over the school counselor’s office. 

Balthazar looked up from the somehow both comfortable and uncomfortable seat in the guidance counselor’s office, shifting awkwardly as he looked down at his phone in silence.

“Do you know what this is about, Balthazar?” Missouri asked him kindly once she had sat down behind the desk. 

Balthazar sighed. “Look, this isn’t high school anymore, Jesus Christ—“ He took in a soft breath. “My grades are fine, yes I did drink at that party, no I didn’t purchase alcohol for anyone, and I haven’t had sex with another student so if someone said anything they’re full of shit.”

Missouri couldn’t help but sniff--delicately--at the boy’s antics. “Thank you for being honest, but that’s not actually what I want to talk to you about. You’re still a minor, but you don’t live with your parents, correct?”

Balthazar let out a sigh in relief, nodding. “Yes. My father’s a douche so my brother has custody of me now, to put it simply.”

“What do you mean when you say your father’s a douche?” Missouri asked, ignoring Balthazar’s language. “And...forgive me, but if I understand things correctly, that was not decided by any court, was it?”

“Ah, How is my biological father a jackass, let me count the ways...homophobic, traditionalist, goddamn creationist asshole.” Balthazar hummed. “And no. He was happy to be rid of me, no paperwork required.”

“So, you’re staying with your older brother. Are you...happy, with him?” Missouri asked, taking Balthazar and his language in stride. 

“Yes, for the most part. Honestly, I’d be happy with anything at this point.” Balthazar sighed, leaning back.

“How does your brother discipline you?” Missouri asked. She was skilled enough to not make it a pointed question, but only just. 

Balthazar raised his brows. “Comparatively, he doesn’t. Just a slap on the wrist verbally and a ‘don’t do it again.’”

“Comparatively? Did your father use corporal punishment?” Missouri asked bluntly. “And does Lucifer? Has he ever hit you?”

Balthazar cringed a little at that, looking down. “Yes, he was...rather fond of it.” He cleared his throat. “Lucifer doesn’t as a punishment. If it’s anything, it’s a shove because I’m being an annoying dick.”

“So, to be clear...Lucifer hasn’t ever struck you? Or used a belt, or anything like that?” Missouri’s face softened. “I know it can be difficult, but if something’s going on at your new home, I’m here to help you.” 

Balthazar groaned, tilting his head back. “No, he hasn’t. What’s this fucking meeting for, again?”

Missouri frowned at him. “Child Protective Services has received several allegations involving you and another minor that Mr. Shurley--your brother--is in contact with. We take such allegations very seriously and must investigate each one. At the moment, I’m...less than impressed by the fact that you’re staying with your brother, who is not technically your legal guardian.” 

Balthazar clenched his jaw. “Would you rather I go ‘home’ tonight and show back up with a bruised face, Ms. Mosley? Or even not show up at all? Because that’s what it sounds like.” He spat.

“Of course not, Balthazar,” Missouri replied with a sigh. “But the fact that you don’t seem to be taking these questions seriously isn’t helping. There IS a minor with much more than a bruised face, and I’m trying to determine how that happened. What you have experienced is relevant, and if you are not currently in a good situation, I also need to determine that and have you removed from it because, believe it or not, I do care about what happens to you.”

“I’m in a good situation. Great, even. If anyone thinks Lucifer’s the one hitting Jack they can shove it up their ass. Maybe have the real CPS talk to Mr. Rolston. I’m fucking done here.” He stood, buttoning his blazer.

“Sit down, Balthazar,” Missouri said in a long-suffering tone. “You’ll be doing your brother--not to mention his son--a serious disservice if you don’t explain what you just told me. I’m just trying to figure out what’s going on here, and I can’t help anyone if I don’t have all the information.” 

Balthazar glared down at her. “Do you need it in plain English? Alastair’s the one hitting that boy. Lucifer’s a great father.”

“Actually, you’d be surprised by how much plain English helps me do my job,” Missouri replied. “Have you ever seen Alistair hit him? Or has he ever told you that Alistair hit him? Or are you just assuming? I’m not trying to be snarky, I’m trying to determine the facts. Because if you have seen it, then I would have cause to remove Jack from the situation immediately. If you haven’t, though, I can’t.” 

Balthazar deflated slightly and sat back down. “No. But the way Jack acts around him? Something’s not right there.”

Missouri nodded slowly. “Thank you for telling me the truth. Unfortunately...I suspect this case is going to be particularly difficult.” 

Balthazar blinked, brows raised. “What’s difficult about it? You stick the guilty party with child abuse and that’s that, they go to jail. I don’t see a problem.”

“Yes, but you need a little thing called proof first,” Missouri pointed out. “And someone saying that they think something is happening isn’t proof. Jack is sticking with the story that he was injured at school in a fall. Without testimony from him, there’s no proof of who did what--and, I hate to say it, but most adults don’t trust kids. Most abusers just deny they ever did anything and walk scot-free.” Her tone suggested that she very much did not approve of this. 

“Well-“ Balthazar huffed, brow furrowed. He didn’t know what to say- it was fucked up. “He doesn’t deserve this. He’s a good kid.”

“No one deserves that,” Missouri agreed. She then hesitated. “Are you friends with him? Could you, perhaps, speak with him about it? He might tell you something he wouldn’t tell an adult. That said, please resist the temptation to make anything up, because that will almost certainly make things much worse.” 

“Not really, but I’ll give it a shot.” Balthazar nodded, running a hand through his hair. “He’s younger than me, so we never… hit it off.”

Missouri nodded. “He may not open up to you even if you do become friends,” she admitted. “But you can try. And I suspect the boy could use friends that aren’t very judgemental right now.” 

Balthazar nodded. “Right. Thank you.” He sighed, standing and brushing himself off. 

“Good luck, Balthazar,” Missouri replied. “Just remember, what you do and what happens to you right now reflects on your brother, so be careful.” 

”I know. ...I will be.”


	4. Chapter Four

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Balthazar goes to talk to Jack, and Lucifer prepares for CPS.

Jack had no idea why Balthazar had come all the way across town to ‘help him with his homework.’ Yes, the boy was older than he was so he’d had some of these classes before, but...well, to be honest, Balthazar really wasn’t that much help. 

His life had changed dramatically in the past few weeks; he was constantly being watched like a hawk by someone now. Teachers were going out of their way to watch him walk down the hallway, and even now, his mother was off work early to supervise Balthazar’s visit. Balthazar couldn’t have been the one that hurt him, but no one seemed to care much about logic, though everyone seemed happier now that he wasn’t showing up anywhere with any more bruises. He’d be happier once things went back to normal. 

“Oh, bloody hell, I remember why I hated this class now. Here- its a combustion reaction. That’s why the oxygen’s over here, and...yeah. You’ve got it.” Balthazar sighed, leaning back in his chair next to Jack. “How’ve you been?”

“Fine.” Jack was anything but, although finally everyone seemed to have grasped the futility of asking him where he’d got his bruises from. 

Balthazar has figured as much when he’d started. He was in it for the long run. He pointed his pencil at the next problem, before pausing. “You seem awfully busy. What do you do outside of school?”

“School takes up most of my time. I help my mom out around the house, otherwise. Read. Things like that,” Jack replied with a shrug. He took in the next question, and was already re-writing the question at the beginning of the answer as he replied. 

“So no hobbies?” Balthazar watched him work, crossing his legs under the table and humming. “We’ll need to find something you enjoy. You always look so put out.”

“I play some computer games,” Jack added. “But private school is a lot more work than public school.”

“That’s just what they tell you. Private school demonizes public school. We have AP’s, and advanced courses, and all that, you just have religion and private funding.” Balthazar chuckled. “What games?”

Jack rattled off the names of a few games that weren’t too violent and weren’t too interesting, either--most would be more appropriate for kids in middle school, not high school. 

Balthazar sighed, running a hand over his face. “Mate, ‘coolmathgames’ doesn’t count.” He paused. “Do you have a laptop?”

“Yes, but I’m only allowed to use it if I need it for homework or after my homework is done,” Jack replied. “And coolmathgames are fun!”

Balthazar pulled it out of Jack’s bag and raised his brows. “Look- I’ll log you into my Steam and we can check it out after this assignment. Password?”

“I can’t have that out now!” Jack hissed. “I’ll get in trouble!” Judging by how red his face had gone, his password was also embarrassing. 

“Well, I’m the one with it out. You can’t get in trouble because of me.” Balthazar quirked a brow. “Password?”

“I will if Mr. Rolston sees us!” Jack replied, glancing over his shoulder--but Alistair wasn’t home at the moment. He frowned, but then admitted, “M0mmasb0y, with zeros instead of o’s.”

Balthazar snickered and typed it in, but said nothing to Jack’s detriment. “You sound like a platforming man, Jack. This should have some good things for you, mm?”

“I don’t know what platforming is,” Jack said, frowning in concentration as he started on his next homework problem. 

“...You’ll like it, I promise.” Balthazar blinked, working with the laptop a few more seconds before closing it and watching as Jack finished the rest of his problems.

“Do you want to check these over?” Jack asked, sliding the paper along the table to Balthazar while he got out his math textbook. “I’m pretty bad at chemistry.” 

Balthazar gaped. “Christ, kid, you’re kidding, right? You’re great.” He hummed, leaning back in his seat. “Why would you think that?”

“I don’t always get A’s, and sometimes I don’t understand everything,” Jack explained. “A couple of the other kids are better than me at it.” 

“There are always going to be people better than you, mm? So what? Improve, but don’t say you’re bad at it, because you’re not.”

Jack shook his head. “You don’t understand. I’m just not very good at anything because I’m stupid. I have to work so hard at it.”

“Who said you were stupid?” Balthazar frowned. “Mate, you’re brilliant. Look at the work you did for English and History-“ He gestured at the neat stack of papers. 

“Mr. Rolston says that I’m not very smart. And my teachers say it, too.” Jack replied. “I’m just average, nothing special.” 

“Well, Mr. Rolston’s a dick, and you can quote me on that. And teachers aren’t supposed to have favorites. So prove them wrong.”

“Shh!” Jack looked around, wide-eyed, as if Alistair was going to suddenly emerge from behind the blinds or something. “Don’t say things like that!” He took a breath or two, calming himself down, before adding, “I try, but I always forget something and then I get it wrong. I only got 90% on the quiz in chemistry yesterday.”

“So what? That’s a good grade. I pulled 70’s and 80’s the whole time I did chemistry.” Balthazar paused, and checked his watch. “The old man’s not here for another two hours, you’re okay.” He said softly. “What are you worried about?”

“It’s not good unless it’s perfect,” Jack declared, shaking his head. “A 90% means you didn’t know 10% of the material. That’s a lot, you won’t be able to get a real job if you don’t know 10% of the material.” He glanced around again. “If either Mom or Dad hears you, you’ll get in trouble and they won’t let you come over again.” 

Balthazar opened Jack’s Chemistry folder and pulled out the test, frowning. “No, not really. Not all the material is on the test if it’s only front and back, and fifteen questions. That’s seven or so points for questions, and you only got partial off for one— and the partial was spelling. Bullshit you don’t know 10% of the material.”

“Look, thanks for trying to be nice, but I know what I am,” Jack said, pulling the quiz back. “I’m the son of a loser who’s destined to be a loser myself, and there’s nothing I can do about it.” His voice was starting to get a bit heated. 

“Who told you that? Because it wasn’t your mother.” Balthazar clenched his jaw a little at Jack’s statement.

“A winner,” Jack said, turning his face away from Balthazar and opening his math book with more force than necessary. “Look, just let me do my math.” 

Balthazar slumped back in his chair, heaving a sigh. “Just...let me know if you need help, okay?”

“Okay,” Jack replied, already working on the second problem. 

Kelly emerged from the kitchen at that point, carrying a plate full of much-too-healthy snacks: carrots, sugar snap peas, raw cauliflower, and the like. “Here you are,” she told them, setting the plate in front of them. 

Balthazar blinked. “...Thanks.” He hadn’t seen that much green in a while. “Thanks for having me over, Ms. Kline.”

“You’re welcome, Balthazar. It’s been a while since Jack’s had friends over; he doesn’t have many that can help him with his homework. Do you boys need anything else?” Kelly asked. 

“No, thanks.” Balthazar frowned, swallowing thickly and shifting a little in his seat. 

“No, Mom.” Jack looked up and gave Kelly a genuine smile--if there had been any doubt about who was abusing Jack, that would most likely have removed it. “Thank you. Oooh, sugar snap peas!” 

“All right. You be good, then,” Kelly said, eyeing the two of them before disappearing back in the direction of the kitchen. 

Balthazar gave a little smile of his own after that. It was good to see Jack smile— just over two hours and he was already protective of the kid. “She’s a good mom to you, hm?”

“The best,” Jack confirmed, as he continued working on his homework. “You should try the peas; they’re always really good.” He snagged a couple of carrots to eat with his left hand. 

Balthazar took one, eyeing it almost suspiciously. “Do I take the skin off?” Vegetables weren’t exactly his forté.

Jack chuckled. “No, you eat the whole thing. The skin’s the best part,” he explained. 

Balthazar nodded slowly before setting it back down on the plate with a slight air of distrust. “I see.”

“No, really, they’re good! Try it,” Jack encouraged, picking up the pea pod and handing it back to Balthazar. 

Balthazar raised a brow and ate it hesitantly, before nodding his approval. “I’ll have to see if I can pick some up, some time, then.”

“See?” Jack smiled at him. “I told you so! They’re really good for you, too.” He looked over his shoulder to where his mother had gone, and then lowered his voice. “I don’t really like the raw cauliflower, though.” 

Balthazar chuckled a little at that, nodding along. “Bitter?” He hummed, before sampling a piece and nodding. “I’d agree with that.”

“It’s not that bad when it’s cooked. I just don’t like it raw,” Jack said, making a face before he took a piece and ate it anyway. “Mom prefers it when we finish the snacks,” he explained, using his carrots to wash the cauliflower down. 

Balthazar nodded slowly, deciding to stick with the snap peas.   
  


—————————  
  


Lucifer was panicking. The past week he’s all but tore up the house in an effort to clean and make it presentable. He’d stocked the fridge with healthy food he was certain Balthazar would never eat and would end up going to waste, and he’d reviewed almost every tip for dealing with a case worker online. If they found his home unsafe, because he wasn’t Balthazar’s legal guardian, they could drop him back in with Chuck— who passed every visit concerned neighbors called in with flying colors. 

The doorbell rang, and he almost had a heart attack. “Coming!” He called, slowly walking over to the door to the apartment and opening it with an awkward smile. “Hello there. Um- coffee? Would you like some coffee?”

An attractive brunette with a clipboard stood at the door. “Hi, Mr...Shurley? I’m Pamela Barnes, one of the workers assigned to Jack’s case.” She blinked. “Coffee would be great,” she said, holding out a hand to shake.

Lucifer blinked before taking it eagerly, shaking it. “Hello! Hi, Ms. Barnes. Hey.” He coughed. “Um, it’s over here, let me get you a glass. A mug.” He was flustered to say the least.

Pamela smirked as she walked into the apartment behind him, looking around the space. “May I sit?” she asked, gesturing to the couch. “I have to do a walk-through, but it’s probably easiest if we start with the talking part.”

“Yeah, sitting is good.” Lucifer sat on the chair across from the couch, shifting uncomfortably. 

“All right, Mr. Shurley. My notes say that you called CPS concerned about your son, Jack, whom you do not have custody of. Is that correct?”

“Yes ma’am.” Lucifer nodded curtly, fiddling with his hands and staring down at the ground. 

“My notes also say that you are caring for your younger brother, Balthazar, although the courts have not made a decision placing him in your custody? Could you please elaborate on that?” she asked, taking a sip of coffee. 

“Well, he’s- he’s eighteen, so technically an adult, right? When he was sixteen, he came to me after our father, Uh…” Lucifer cleared his throat. “He never told me specifics. He didn’t really have to. I’ve kept him enrolled in school and everything because Chuck stopped paying.”

“If he’s eighteen, then he can make his own decisions,” Pamela agreed with him. “So you’ve been taking care of him for the last two years. In that time, has he sustained any broken bones or major injuries that required hospitalization?”

“None that needed hospitalization, no. Worst that happened I think was a badly sprained ankle.” Lucifer nodded, sighing softly.

“All right.” Pamela made a note on her clipboard. “Back to Jack, then. He still claims he sustained his injuries by being clumsy at school. Do you have any information that would contradict his claim?”

Lucifer shook his head. “No, I don’t.” He sighed. “But- you don’t just get lash marks at school! Did you see the pictures?”

“Yes, I did.” Her jaw clenched briefly, essentially the only signal that they had upset her. “And I agree with you. But do you have an idea why he would lie about how he got them?”

“He’s scared it’ll happen again.” Lucifer reasoned. “Poor kid, I- I can’t do anything to help him and it’s fucking awful. I can’t-“ He sighed.

“That’s not entirely true. You can listen to him. Do you know if he’s dating anyone? Do you know what his sexuality is?” Pamela asked. 

“Pretty sure he’s ace.” Lucifer sighed, leaning back. “No dating, no interest, really. Nothing like that.”

“Hmm.” Pamela made another note. 

Lucifer, if possible, was starting to look more worried. “What are you writing? Ah, do you- do you want me to show you around?”

“I’m just trying to figure out why he would lie about what happened,” Pamela explained. “One possibility is that he might have been protecting someone he was dating, especially if it was another boy.” 

Lucifer shook his head. “No, it wouldn’t have been that. Kelly would know if he had any sort of romantic partner.”

Pamela shook her head, looking confused. “Do you have any idea what happened?”

“I’m sure it was Alastair.” Lucifer nodded. 

“Why?” Pamela looked a little surprised by his bluntness. 

“He’s a sadist. He and I...used to have a relationship. He was abusive. I filed charges, nothing ever came of it.”

Pamela’s eyes widened. “Hmmm.” More notetaking ensued, and then she tapped the pen against her lips. “Can you think of why Jack would cover for him? Because, if that’s what’s happened, we’ve assured Jack that we’ll remove him from the situation, but he’s still sticking to his story.” 

“He could be being threatened— with anything from more punishment to my visits being blocked, or even Al going after Kelly.” Lucifer frowned, looking down at his lap. “It’s hard to speak out.”

“That it is,” Pamela murmured sympathetically, as she continued to write. “That...would certainly explain things, yes. Do you think you speaking with Kelly about it would help, or just make things worse?”

“It would depend. Kelly’s a wonderful woman, and…” Lucifer shook his head. “It’s hard to talk about someone you love doing something so awful. I don’t think she would accept this reason without concrete proof.”

Pamela slumped a little. “I’m not sure there’s anything we can do, then, unless this happens again--which I desperately hope it won’t.” She glanced up from her notes. “Why don’t you take me around...but I’ll warn you, this place is too small for me to recommend having an adult and two high schoolers in it.” 

Lucifer sighed. “I know. I just got a new job, though, so I’m hoping to move into a bigger place soon. This is...well, it’s the kitchen.” He cleared his throat. “There’s a few sets of knives, but they’re stored properly and none of them are dull. Dull knives are always more dangerous. And this way’s the two bedrooms, and a little sitting area with the tv.”

Pamela nodded, glancing through a few drawers, and followed him. “I’ve spoken with your boss, Alan. He thinks very highly of you. If you ultimately want shared custody of Jack, it’s definitely a step in the right direction. As is getting a bigger place.” 

“Hey, Alan thinks highly of anyone who doesn’t do blow on shift.” Lucifer chuckled. “He’s just glad I’m clean and reliable. Sometimes it’s hard to find a cook who’s both.” He hummed, leading her to Balthazar’s room. “This is Bal’s room, I wouldn’t look too closely. It’s uh...well, he’s a teenager. Not clean, and I wouldn’t trust any of the dirty laundry.”

“It’s not the first teenager’s room I’ve seen,” Pamela remarked with a shrug, though she looked over the room with a critical eye. “All right. What next?”

“My room, then the bathroom. I guess the living area if you want a closer look.” Lucifer nodded, making sure Balthazar’s door was closed before he led her into his own bedroom.

“Forgive the personal question, but I have to ask. Are you seeing anyone right now?” Pamela asked, again looking everything over carefully. 

Lucifer shook his head. “No ma’am. Single, haven’t really dated since Kelly and I divorced.”

“What about Balthazar?” Pamela asked. 

“I don’t know what the hell he gets up to. I don’t doubt he’s dating.” Lucifer sighed.

“Well, if you want to convince a judge to allow you to have custody of Jack, you’re going to have to find out. Generally we run a background check on the partners of anyone living at home, at the very least,” Pamela informed him as they walked back to the living area. She flipped through her notes, likely to see if she had everything she needed, and sighed. “As I said before, we’re almost certainly going to rule that we could find no evidence of abuse. I’d suggest you have a heart-to-heart with Jack and see if you can’t convince him to tell the truth about what happened. If he comes around, then maybe the two of you can talk with Kelly and try to convince her to leave Alistair. You can also attempt to get custody, but without any proof of any abuse, you’d likely only be awarded partial.” 

Lucifer frowned, nodding slowly. “I’ll check in with him, then. I’m fine with partial, so long as I can see him. I love that boy more than anything.” He said truthfully, heaving a soft sigh. “It was nice to have you here. Good luck with your investigation.”

“Thank you. I’m so sorry I can’t do more for you,” Pamela said, shaking his hand before leaving. “You’ll probably hear from us in a few days, maybe a few weeks, but I wouldn’t expect anything different from what I’ve already told you.”

Lucifer nodded. “Thank you for coming.” He said, shaking her hand firmly back and grinning down at her. He couldn’t hide the quiver in his hand, revealing he was nervous. He was scared of what would happen, to him and his small broken family.


	5. Chapter Five

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Lucifer’s next visit with Jack has its ups and downs, but it’s Alastair that he really has trouble wit.

The next week, he stood at the door to Kelly’s house, fighting the urge to tremble like a leaf as he knocked.

Kelly answered the door; clearly having taken time off work to be present when Lucifer visited. “Lucifer,” she greeted a bit coldly, although she held open the door for him to come in. “Jack’s working on his homework.” 

Lucifer nodded, smiling awkwardly. He was glad she was there, because if she wasn’t he’d be worried about what would happen to Jack when he was alone with his stepfather. “Oh, that’s fine. I won’t be much of a bother, I don’t think.”

Kelly led him into the living room, where Jack once again sat at a table with his homework. “Jack, your father’s here,” she told the boy before disappearing further into the house. 

Jack looked up, and beamed at Lucifer. “Hello, Father!” 

Lucifer sighed, before instantly perking up when he saw Jack. “Hey, buddy!” He grinned, padding over and sitting next to the boy. “What’s up?” He hummed, glancing at his work.

“I’m working on my English homework,” Jack explained. “We’re reading <i>MacBeth.</i> It’s really cool, it’s got witches and ghosts in it.” 

Lucifer chuckled, glancing at the book. “Out, out, damned spot.” He murmured. “I loved Shakespeare in high school. What’ve you got to do for homework?”

“An essay where we compare and contrast Banquo and MacBeth,” Jack replied. “Contrasting is pretty easy; I’m still working on what they have in common.” 

Lucifer hummed softly. “Alright. Think you could use my help, or are you good on your own?”

“You could help me brainstorm. I mean, they’re both Scots, but aside from that…” Jack shrugged his shoulders. 

Lucifer hummed. “Well, they were both generals, came from good families.” He pointed out, leaning back.

“True,” Jack replied, nodding and scribbling a note. “They also--well, Banquo didn’t become king, but his son did, so...had a royal bloodline, sort of thing?” He tilted his head to the side, peering at his notes as if to make them make sense. 

“Yeah, noble blood and all that.” Lucifer hummed softly. “Is it just a little assignment, or more of an essay type deal?”

“It’s a five-paragraph essay,” Jack responded, shrugging. “I’ve done a lot of them before, though. Sometimes it’s harder to keep them at only five paragraphs than to write enough.”

Lucifer nodded and hummed softly. “Alright. Can I see some of your past essays to see what we’re working with grade wise?”

“Sure.” Jack fished in his backpack, pulling out a folder. He paged through it, and pulled out a few of his previous essays--all of which he’d gotten As on. “Here you go,” he said, handing them to Lucifer.

Lucifer hummed, thumbing through them. “Wow, Jack. This is all great!” He beamed with pride. “And with what you’ve got written so far, I bet it’s gonna be another A. You’ve got a talent for writing.” He praised.

“Thanks, Father,” Jack said, blushing slightly. “But I’m really not that good. You’re just saying that because you’re my father.” 

“No I’m not.” Lucifer shook his head. “I mean- you deserve all the praise I give you because sometimes it feels like you’ve never gotten any.”

“That’s not true,” Jack replied, more or less on automatic. “There’s lots of students who are as good as me.” 

“So? I bet their parents are proud of them.” Lucifer reasoned. “You really need to think more highly of yourself, kiddo.”

“Do you have any idea how many kids there are in America?” Jack asked. “I’m really nothing special.”

Lucifer raised his brows. “And there’s a billion old divorced guys, yet I’m your favorite. ‘Best dad ever’, according to you in fifth grade. You dole out buckets of praise and won’t take any. Why?”

Jack shrugged. “I don’t know, father,” he said, frowning and looking down now that he felt Lucifer was being critical of him. “I’ll try to be better.” It wasn’t helping that everyone seemed to want something different from him. 

Lucifer sighed. “Jack, no, I’m sorry- you don’t have to-“He ran his hands over his face. “I don’t know where you got the idea that you’re subpar. Who told you that?”

Jack shrugged. “Everyone,” he mumbled, trying to deflect the question by pulling his essay close and adding a sentence or two. 

“Jack…” Lucifer sighed. “Please, I just wanna help you. I can’t do that if you don’t tell me the truth, buddy.”

“Father--I can’t,” Jack replied, keeping his eyes on his essay. “Please don’t try to make me. It’s important.” 

“Yes, it is. It’s so very important, Jack. I love you, kiddo, I just want the best for you. You can tell me.”

“I <i>can’t</i>, Fa--Dad, please. I can’t tell you,” Jack insisted, his voice sounding rough.

“Yes you can.” Lucifer hummed, before turning a page in Jack’s notebook. “Why don’t you just write it?”

Jack shook his head. “Bad thing’s’ll happen,” he mumbled, almost too low for Lucifer to hear. 

Lucifer frowned. “Not if no one else sees it, they won’t. I promise, I’ll keep you safe.” He murmured.

“‘S not me I’m--” Jack shook his head, more vehemently this time. “No. No, I’m just going to finish this essay.” 

“Jack.” Lucifer said firmly. “Please. Do this for me. If I know what’s going wrong I can  _ stop  _ it. Let me do that for you.”

“I <i>can’t</i>, Dad!” Jack hissed. “You don’t understand. I’ll never see you again.”

“I do. I-“ Lucifer clenched his jaw. “If it’s one person, it can be dealt with.” He glanced at the doorway. “Is it him? Your mother would get rid of the ass if she knew, you know that, Jack. Please.”

“Not fast enough,” Jack said miserably. “Please, Dad. Please just let it go. It’s okay. I’m fine. Really.”

Lucifer shook his head. “Jack. I’m doing this to  _ help  _ you. Please. Just give me a name. Then it can all be over.”

“How?” Jack asked. “I can’t go stay with you. I won’t leave her with--” his teeth clacked shut. “Even if I could stay with you,” he mumbled. 

Lucifer stilled, before letting out a soft sigh. “I know. But- Jack, she can take care of herself. If she knew, please just...let us help you. You don’t deserve this.”

“She won’t believe me,” Jack said miserably, shaking his head and scrubbing at his eyes. “Please, da--Father. Please just leave it alone. Nothing else has happened since the investigation. It’s fine now.”

“But something will happen! Can’t you see that? It always escalates. Always. I don’t want you hurt. It’s disgusting that you have to live with scars on your back as it is. I don’t want any more.”

Jack glanced up, haunted eyes making him look much older than he actually was. “Better me than her,” he repeated. 

“No. That’s not how it works. You are our  _ son _ , it is our  _ duty _ to make sure you are safe.” Lucifer said slowly. He couldn’t believe how much his son wanted to protect Kelly. It would almost be endearing not given the circumstances. 

Jack shrugged, eyeing his essay and going radio-silent. He’d clearly reached that point where, as a teenager, he wasn’t about to do what his parent wanted him to do, but he also wasn’t going to argue any further. 

“Jack…” Lucifer started before sighing. He didn’t want to give up, but he just didn’t know what to do. No matter how hard he tried, he always failed. Always. Since before Jack. He felt useless in the fact he couldn’t help his son, even more so with the fact that he  _ knew  _ the abuser and if they just had the evidence...it was like driving a stake through his heart. He knew he shouldn’t feel guilty, but another part of him definitely thought he should. 

“Dad...it’s fine. Really,” Jack said gently, pulling his laptop toward him and typing in some of the text he’d written down. “It’ll be fine.” 

Lucifer sighed as he watched him, shaking his head. “If you’re so sure.”

“Let’s talk about Macbeth some more,” Jack suggested. “What do you think would have happened if Lady Macbeth hadn’t egged him on?”

Lucifer hummed. “Well, I think nothing would have happened. He had some ambition himself, sure, but it was her who drove him to all that.”

“So...you don’t think it was the witches’ fault? Even though they’re the ones that put the ideas in his head?” Jack asked, picking up his well-thumbed copy of the play and scanning a page for a quote he wanted to use. 

“No. Sure, they put the idea there, but they also put a big fat warning label on it. He wouldn’t have done anything.”

Jack nodded his agreement. “And they also appeared to Banquo, and he didn’t do anything.” 

“Correctomundo. Put that down.” Lucifer grinned, leaning back in his chair and watching Jack write.

Rolling his eyes, Jack noted, “You’re so old. No one says that anymore,” as he worked. 

“Oh, shut up.” Lucifer chuckled. “All the cool kids say it and you don’t even know. I’m hip. I’m cool.” He teased. 

“No one says cool anymore, either,” Jack shot back with a roll of his eyes. “Face it, Dad, you’re old.” 

“What? What do they say instead of cool?” Lucifer pouted, but rejoiced at the use of ‘dad’ rather than ‘father’.

“Lit,” Jack said. “Don’t tell me you haven’t read Urban Dictionary.” Then he reddened. “Um. Not that I have, uh, some other kids…” He looked rather guilty. “I mean, even if I know swear words, I don’t use them?”

Lucifer chuckled softly. “Jack, you’re allowed, so far as I’m concerned. That is by far one of the least offensive sites you could be digging into, trust me.” He shook his head.

“Mom wouldn’t like it,” Jack said, glancing back over his shoulder toward the kitchen. “Mr. Rolston, either.”

“Then don’t do it in front of them.” Lucifer excused. “For one, masturbation is perfectly natural. And for two? You’re practically grown. You know what’s good for you and what’s not.”

“Daaa-aaad!” Jack exclaimed, turning red. “We weren’t even talking about that! We were talking about Urban Dictionary!”

“No, we were talking about the dangers of the internet.” Lucifer grinned. “Come on, it's an inevitable conclusion.”

“That doesn’t mean I want to talk about it!” Jack managed to go even redder, and stared down at his homework as if it had offended him. 

“Okay, okay.” Lucifer chuckled. “I’m sorry.” He grinned lazily, but paused as he heard footsteps in the hall outside. “Get back to your writing, I’ll get you a glass of water.” He excused, standing and pushing his chair back in. “Be right back.” He ruffled Jack’s hair lightly, before padding out and sighing as he realized it wasn’t Kelly who’d been listening in.

“Heya, Al.”

“Lucifer.” Alastair did that thing where the corners of his mouth quirked up but nothing else about his face said that he was smiling. “Just what  _ are _ you talking about with the boy, mmm?”

“Oh, you know, family stuff. I doubt you’d understand, cold and shriveled as your heart is.” Lucifer gave a thin-lipped smile. “When are you gonna own up to beating him?” He posed his own question, brows raised.

“Lucifer, Lucifer, Lucifer. You never do think these things through, do you? Do you realize what conclusion the social workers would draw, were he to be found with bruises today, after a visit from his dear old Dad?” Alastair smirked. “You might want to think twice about accusing me of something like that.”

Lucifer clenched his jaw, fists balled by his side. He opened his mouth to speak before quieting himself and looking down at the floor. What could he do? Being more insistent led to what Alastair was threatening, and doing nothing, being weak...Alastair had taken advantage of that before.

Alastair chuckled. “That’s much better, Lulu. Know your place and don’t try to get ahead of your betters, and you might just make it through all this.” 

Lucifer swallowed thickly. “Don’t call me that.” He bit out, chest heaving as he fought to keep himself calm.

This time, Alastair flat-out laughed. “Going to hit me? Please do. That’s, mm, assault and battery. You’ll do time, lose that shitty job and shitty apartment you have, and, most importantly? You’ll probably never see your son again.” 

Lucifer shook his head, rubbing his hand over his eyes. “Just fuck off.” He muttered, moving to shoulder past Alastair to get to the kitchen. He hated that the man was taller than him. As if he didn’t feel weak enough, small enough, Alastair was physically stronger too.

Alastair’s soft laughter followed Lucifer into the kitchen, where he found Kelly fixing an after-school snack for Jack. She looked up, face initially set in hard lines, but they softened when they caught sight of Lucifer. “Lu?” she asked. “What’s wrong?”

“Your husband.” Lucifer muttered, opening the cabinet to get a cup. “Jack likes ice in his water, right?” He frowned.

“Yes, but...slow down, Lucifer. What did Alastair say? I swear, I’m going to have words with him if he can’t be civil,” Kelly replied, shaking her head. 

“He threatened me with putting marks on Jack so he can call CPS after my visit. You know, normal stuff.” Lucifer huffed, shaking his head.

“Lucifer!” Kelly frowned at him. “That’s not funny.” 

“You think I’m  _ joking _ ?” Lucifer shook his head, filling a glass of water for Jack. “Of course you do. Why do I even bother.” He stalked off, back to the dining room where Jack was sat.

Kelly stared after him in shock, unsure of what to say. Or do, for that matter. After a moment, however, she went looking for Alistair to try to find out what on Earth he <i>had</i> said to Lucifer. 

Alastair was standing in the hall, looking fairly pleased with himself until he heard Kelly coming- at which point his posture became far more apprehensive. He really was a good actor. 

“Al. So you are home. I didn’t realize you were,” Kelly said, frown on her face. She folded her arms across her chest. “What did you say to Lucifer that upset him so much?” she asked, getting right to the point. 

“What did I say to him? More like what he said to me.” Alastair raised his brows. “He accused me of being the one hitting Jack.”

“He what?” Kelly’s stance softened a little, and her arms uncrossed before she heaved a sigh. “And what did you say? Al, we’ve talked about this. I know you two don’t like each other, but it isn’t  _ that _ hard to be civil, for Jack’s sake.”

“He was on the offensive. I said I’d press charges if he made a move. I think I was being civil.” Alastair excused. “I am doing my best for that boy. I don’t think Lucifer is any good for him.”

Kelly lifted a hand to rub at the bridge of her nose. “And I think you’re wrong, Al. Jack needs to know his father. And Lucifer’s a good guy, just...unlucky.” Also messed up (in her opinion), but she didn’t feel like sharing that bit. 

“Jack doesn’t need to look up to that kind of person. We want him to succeed, don’t we?” Alastair carefully wrapped an arm around Kelly’s waist. “Lucifer as a father figure won’t do that for him.”

“We want him to be <i>happy</i>, Al,” Kelly replied, leaning against him. “Successful, yes, but happy is more important. And a boy should know his father...as long as he’s not in jail for murder or something like that. I know you don’t like Lucifer, but he’s a better man than you think. Just a bit...confused.”

“Confused is putting it lightly.” Alastair raised his brows. “But fine. Fine, I, mm, understand.” He shook his head, leaning back against the wall. “I just think we should cut down on his visits, after this.” He said lightly.

“You’re the lawyer, Al, you know we can’t do that without the courts getting involved.” Kelly pointed out. 

“Which I wouldn’t be opposed to at all.” Alastair pointed out, crossing his arms.

“There aren’t that many visits,” Kelly said, shaking her head. “I don’t think we should reduce them any further. It’s not that hard to keep an eye on them, and we can always request a social worker to be present if you’re really worried.” 

“I am. But no matter, I’m sure everything will be just fine.” Alastair raised a brow at Kelly, humming. “Though, I think his time for this one is running short. Will you let him know or must I?”

Kelly sighed, and pulled away. “I’ll tell them.” She left him in the hallway and went back to the living room, where Lucifer and Jack were laughing together. She smiled, having not heard Jack laugh in a long, long time. Like she had told Alistair, perhaps the boy’s father wasn’t a shining example of success, but he <i>did</i> make the boy happy. 

Lucifer looked up and beamed at Kelly, humming. “Oh- hey there.” He was happy- happier than he had been. He was obviously willing to put his small spat with Alastair to the back of his mind so he could enjoy his time with his son.

Kelly smiled at him, a little sadly. Yup, definitely still some love there. “It’s almost time for you to go,” she pointed out. “We’ll be having dinner soon.” 

Lucifer frowned, glancing up at the clock on the wall. “I didn’t notice, I’m sorry.” He admitted sheepishly, rubbing at the back of his neck.

“Time flies when you’re having fun,” Kelly said, because she didn’t feel like getting into any conversation heavier than a trite proverb. “Jack, go get cleaned up for dinner.” 

Jack looked up and opened his mouth to protest, before dutifully walking out to do as he was told. Lucifer ran a hand through his hair, sighing as he pushed himself up to stand. “It was good to see you.” He offered half-heartedly.

“You too,” and Kelly found herself meaning it despite whatever had happened between Alastair and Lucifer. “Be well, Lu.” 

“Will do.” Lucifer gave a timid smile and grabbed his coat, shouldering it on before he waved and walked out.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you all so much for your support!! It means a lot, and we’re so glad you enjoy this story.


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